Sometimes I read yall and feel like we're reading completely different stories.
MC is a psychopath, simply put. Every detail about him, from his 'monologues' with his ego all the way to how he thinks of other characters, all his planning to set them up to do his bidding, etc. He has no emotional reactivity, hardly has any outbursts outside of when Elsa caught him by surprise with the online meeting.
He can't find a proper way to approach his 'LI'? (which is described more as a goal to reach than someone he loves) No biggie, let's run to the nearest door and get a concussion so she drives him to a hospital. Cute neighbor has a date and might lose interest? Let's just make sure she's still hooked up by making sure she's juuuuust jealous enough. HE doesn't want her but the ego boost she brings him is pretty nice.
MC does more in the little chapters we've had so far than 99.99% of MCs in AVNs ever do in fully completed stories since most of them serve as a reader's surrogate to fuck as many girls as possible. Chalking MC up to a "douchebag" is hella reductive lol.
As for Elsa, I doubt she's "manipulating" him to burn the company down lol. She has been made vague but never had a single piece of dialogue that shows any malice. Not once. She is set up as a side kick who's finding joy in mentoring a weirdo while using Alice as a carrot on a stick, all while falling in love with him in the process.
The way Elsa thanks MC at the café is pretty telling that she's gaining affection for him.
